The present technology relates generally to supply chain management, including the distribution, tracking, transport, storage and inventory systems, as well as methods utilized to perform such supply chain management. Radio frequency technologies, cellular communication systems, global positioning systems, and software workflow applications involved with supply chain management are also disclosed.
Currently, in the healthcare industry, complex and expensive medical devices, such as implantable devices, and related instruments are distributed from the medical device manufacturer or distributor to the healthcare provider (e.g., hospital or surgical center). These devices are typically packaged in sterilized containers and organized, for example, by type of medical procedure and/or size. In many cases, until the medical procedure is actually in process, it is unclear from an inventory and logistics standpoint as to what exact medical device(s) and/or instrument(s), e.g., size or type, will be used in the particular procedure. Because of this, it is necessary for the medical device manufacture to provide a substantial (yet constantly changing) inventory of medical devices, e.g., various types and sizes, as well as related instruments, to the medical facility, e.g., hospital or surgical center, at a relatively short notice.
One method to accomplish this is to distribute an inventory of medical devices from the manufacturer or distribution center to the medical facility in a transportable container. These containers are stocked with items, e.g., product(s) at a manufacturer or distribution center and may sit in inventory until a specific customer or sales representative requests them for use.
For example, once there is a request for a certain devices, e.g., a set of implant/device, a container is labeled and shipped, e.g., via Federal Express, UPS, or another courier, to the medical facility, (or directly to a medical device field representative who will, in turn, transport it to the medical facility). Once in the medical facility, the container is opened and various devices are removed (some of which are used in a medical procedure, e.g., implanted into a patient). When the procedure is complete, the container is packaged up and returned to the medical device manufacturer or distribution center.
Currently, there is very little visibility into what inventory is actually in a container at any given time. It is only when the manufacturer or distribution center receives the container back and opens it that they actually know what items were taken or used in a given procedure. As these containers need to be quickly restocked and sent back out for use in other procedures, the manufacturer or distribution center can be caught without enough inventory of a particular device or implant type or size because they only see what has been taken and used when the container is physically (over the course of days to weeks) returned. Additionally, if a particular procedure is not performed for an extended period of time following delivery of the container to the medical facility, the associated transportable container and its expensive medical device/implant inventory cannot be further tracked and managed in a “real-time” manner. Thus, the manufacturer may end up producing a significant amount of device/implant overstock because of the poor logistical controls. Moreover, if the container is not returned to the distribution for restocking following a procedure, the container may not include the appropriate inventory for a subsequent procedure. In some instances, this out of stock condition may not be discovered until after the subsequent procedure has begun.
In addition, the physical location of each container is often unknown, leading to wasted time by the medical device manufacturer and/or medical facility staff having to track down each container. In such instances, the medical device manufacturer may need to stock additional devices and containers to offset containers unaccounted for devices and containers.
Furthermore, the medical device manufacture cannot invoice the customer until it confirms what has been used in a particular procedure. At times, the container will not be returned to the manufacturer or distribution center for days after a procedure, which can lead to billing delays and inaccuracies.